Access Data & Specimens

May 2nd, 2014: CEREBROSPINAL FLUID DATA POSTED TO PPMI

Dear PPMI community,

Data from the analysis of baseline CSF samples are now available on the PPMI study database. 1,266 CSF samples from all 666 PPMI (PD, Healthy subject, SWEDD) baseline visits and 300 longitudinal visits (6 and 12 month from those subjects who have reached their 12 month visit) have been analyzed for alpha-synuclein (α-SYN), Aβ1-42, total tau (t-tau), and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (p-tau) and data is now available on the PPMI website. These data are listed in the database as projects 110 (CSF Aβ1-42/t-tau/p-tau) and 111 (CSF α-SYN).

Be aware that the mean concentration values for a-SYN and Aβ1-42 obtained in the 2013 full-study are significantly higher and the p-tau values lowerthan the mean values obtained in the pilot CSF study(“Pilot Biospecimen Analysis Results Projects 101 and 103”–examining a subset of baseline CSF samples, the results of which were published in JAMA Neurology in 2013). After extensive assessment of pre-analytical and analytical procedures the Steering Committee believes the difference between the full baseline and pilot CSF analyses results are due to assay batch variability between 2011 and 2013 in these research assays. Please refer to the slide deck on the PPMI website entitled “PPMI CSF baseline analysis_Assay variability_April 2014” for more details.

Should you have any comments or questions regarding this study, please direct them to ppmi@michaeljfox.org. Thank you for your interest in the PPMI study.

Sincerely,

The PPMI Steering Committee

Accessing PPMI Data & Specimens

A primary goal of PPMI is to develop a large and comprehensive set of correlated clinical data and biospecimens that will be made available to the entire scientific community to help accelerate biomarker verification research. This section of the study site serves as the central hub for academic and industry researchers to download de-identified data and request specimens collected in the study.

PPMI data and specimens have been collected in a standardized manner under strict protocols developed by the steering committee. Click here to review the PPMI Research Documents and SOPs that have been developed to guide PPMI Clinical Sites in data and specimen collection.

PPMI Data: Clinical, Biomarker, Imaging and Related MetaData

The PPMI study dataset includes clinical, biological and imaging data collected at PPMI clinical sites. The data have been aggregated into the PPMI study database, which is managed by the PPMI Bioinformatics Core, the Laboratory of NeuroImaging (LONI) at the University of Southern California.

PPMI Samples: Biologic Specimens

Biologic specimens collected through PPMI include urine, plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, DNA and RNA. An inventory of collected specimens available for research purposes is available in the PPMI study database. Researchers may apply for access to stored samples, which are housed in the study’s biorepositories in the US, Italy and Israel.

Analysis of PPMI Data and Samples

The PPMI Steering Committee has already identified preliminary analyses that will be conducted on the PPMI data by the study cores. Other investigators are strongly encouraged to access the study data and specimens to conduct their own analyses. To keep the scientific community apprised of analyses being completed by all investigators who are using PPMI data and specimens. A list of Ongoing Analyses has been compiled here.